What’s the mid bead on a shotgun used for?

WB
[subject]
Saturday, November 09, 2024, 15:24 (627 days ago)

The one on my Mossberg 500 turkey gun covers my red fiber front. I may remove it and install a plug screw.

I was told years ago it was to teach you not to cant the gun

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Saturday, November 09, 2024, 15:45 (627 days ago) @ WB

when shooting in skeet or trap.

I may just file it down a bit, till my fiber peeks over.

WB
[subject]
Saturday, November 09, 2024, 17:56 (627 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

- No text -

mid bead

Kevin T
[subject]
Saturday, November 09, 2024, 18:16 (627 days ago) @ WB

The middle bead should not cover up the front bead. Its for alignment and should be smaller as to not cover the front. To each his own, but Ive shot a lot of trap over the years, tried and never had a use for the center bead. YMMV of course

Once, a million miles ago, I had a shotgun mentor who best

jthomson
[subject]
Saturday, November 09, 2024, 18:46 (627 days ago) @ WB

explained it the two beads are just ref beads for the shooter to check alignment when mounting the gun, ie, different spacing between the beads can help you judge the POI of the gun. Now go try it" Upon missing a few targets trying to follow his sage advice, he approached me an took the back of his sheath knife and knocked the front ivory off my shotgun and growled " If your looking at the f'n bead you ain't looking at the f'n target" and walked away. Hope his advice helps.

I'm beginning to understand that. On field guns

WB
[subject]
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 06:04 (626 days ago) @ jthomson

the dynamic is so different. I'm beginning to wonder how I ever hit anything as they seldom fit me well and I mount them differently every time I put it to my shoulder or change jackets.

The mid-bead in question is on my Mossberg turkey gun. It is also drilled and tapped for optics (from the factory). That really throws some poop in the game. But with the 0.6xx choke it throws a pattern that stays on a feed sack at 50 yds. For hunting squirrel and such, not necessarily moving, a deliberate aiming point is used. I was tuning up the old gun as I could not see the front bead at all, I installed a red fiber bead. My son swiped the sling swivels to put on some Russian thing. So that is another restoration item. The safety is a little hard to manipulate with gloves. It's plastic too. The aluminum upgraded versions are only $10. I might get one of those too.

My uncle who passed on traded me the gun so it has some sentimental value as well as high utility. The old 6-shot 500 is very simple and tinny but works well. (I don't like how the mag tube stop and ejector both literally fall out, just stamped sheet metal, when you remove the trigger assy.) It's a 24" ported barrel with screw chokes, lots of actual value there. I think the 870 is a better design but the 500 keeps on working. I have friends with Winchester 1200's but I never took a liking to them, at all. But they seem to work for them. I mean in the utility, cheap, pump gun market.

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